Technical Field
Embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to polycrystalline diamond composites and cutting structures. More particularly, embodiments disclosed herein relate to methods of leaching polycrystalline diamond cutting elements.
Background Art
Polycrystalline diamond compact (“PDC”) cutters have been used in industrial applications including rock drilling and metal machining for many years. In a typical application, a compact of polycrystalline diamond (PCD) (or other superhard material) is bonded to a substrate material, which is typically a sintered metal-carbide to form a cutting structure. PCD comprises a polycrystalline mass of diamonds (typically synthetic) that are bonded together to form an integral, tough, high-strength mass or lattice. The resulting PCD structure produces enhanced properties of wear resistance and hardness, making PCD materials extremely useful in aggressive wear and cutting applications where high levels of wear resistance and hardness are desired.
A PDC cutting element may be formed by placing a cemented carbide substrate into the container of a press. A mixture of diamond grains or diamond grains and catalyst binder is placed atop the substrate and treated under high pressure, high temperature conditions. In doing so, metal binder (often cobalt) migrates from the substrate and passes through the diamond grains to promote intergrowth between the diamond grains. As a result, the diamond grains become bonded to each other to form the diamond layer, and the diamond layer is in turn bonded to the substrate. The substrate often comprises a metal-carbide composite material, such as tungsten carbide. The deposited diamond layer is often referred to as the “diamond table” or “abrasive layer.”
Conventional PCD includes 85-95% by volume diamond and a balance of the binder material, which is present in PCD within the interstices existing between the bonded diamond grains. Binder materials that are typically used in forming PCD include Group VIII elements, with cobalt (Co) being the most common binder material used.
An example of a drag bit for earth formation drilling using PDC cutters is shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 shows a rotary drill bit 10 having a bit body 12. The lower face of the bit body 12 is formed with a plurality of blades 14, which extend generally outwardly away from a central longitudinal axis of rotation 16 of the drill bit. A plurality of PDC cutters 18 are disposed side by side along the length of each blade. The number of PDC cutters 18 carried by each blade may vary. The PDC cutters 18 are individually brazed to a stud-like carrier (or substrate), which may be formed from tungsten carbide, and are received and secured within sockets in the respective blade.
A significant factor in determining the longevity of PDC cutters is the generation of heat at the cutter contact point, specifically at the exposed part of the PDC layer, caused by friction between the PCD and the work material. This heat causes thermal damage to the PCD in the form of cracks (due to differences in thermal expansion coefficients) which lead to spalling of the polycrystalline diamond layer, delamination between the polycrystalline diamond and substrate, and back conversion of the diamond to graphite causing rapid abrasive wear. The thermal operating range of conventional PDC cutters is typically 700° C. or less.
As mentioned, conventional polycrystalline diamond is stable at temperatures of up to 700° C., after which observed increases in temperature may result in permanent damage to and structural failure of polycrystalline diamond. This deterioration in polycrystalline diamond is due to the significant difference in the coefficient of thermal expansion of the binder material, cobalt, as compared to diamond. Upon heating of polycrystalline diamond, the cobalt and the diamond lattice will expand at different rates, which may cause cracks to form in the diamond lattice structure and result in deterioration of the polycrystalline diamond. However, thermal fatigue does not only occur at temperatures above 700° C. Rather, the differential expansion (between cobalt and diamond) even occurs at temperatures as low as 300-400° C., still causing thermal fatigue in the diamond body. Further, damage to polycrystalline diamond can also result from the loss of some diamond-to-diamond bonds (from the initiation of a graphitization process) leading to loss of microstructural integrity and strength loss.
In order to overcome this problem, strong acids may be used to “leach” the binder from the diamond lattice structure (either a thin volume or entire tablet) to at least reduce the damage experienced from heating diamond-binder composite at different rates upon heating. Examples of “leaching” processes can be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,288,248 and 4,104,344. Briefly, a strong acid, typically nitric acid or combinations of several strong acids (such as nitric and hydrofluoric acid) may be used to treat the diamond table, removing at least a portion of the co-catalyst from the PDC composite. By leaching out the binder, thermally stable polycrystalline (TSP) diamond may be formed. In certain embodiments, only a select portion of a diamond composite is leached, in order to gain thermal stability without losing impact resistance. As used herein, the term TSP includes both of the above (i.e., partially and completely leached) compounds. Interstitial volumes remaining after leaching may be reduced by either furthering consolidation or by filling the volume with a secondary material, such as by processes known in the art and described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,127,923, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Accordingly, there exists a continuing need for developing methods and apparatuses that accelerate the leaching process, and/or reduce the hazards inherent in the leaching process.